By Tyler Arnold
(The Center Square) – Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of a $300 million infrastructure project, which will widen 7.4 miles of Route 58 in Patrick County.
The project is the next phase in a series of projects to create a four-lane highway between Virginia Beach and Interstate 77. The ceremony was at Fred Clifton Park in Meadows of Dan at an overlook near Route 58.
“Route 58 is a vital road for locals, tourists, and commercial traffic, connecting southern Virginia from the beach to the mountains,” Northam said in a statement. “By widening this key section, the project will open up this part of Southwest Virginia to faster, safer travel and more economic investment.”
According to the governor’s office, the lane expansion will begin a quarter mile west of Poor Farmers Farm Store in Vesta and go 7.4 miles toward the east where it will connect with an existing four-lane section of Route 58. In addition to widening lanes, the project also expands shoulders and adds turning lanes at all secondary road connections. It will also improve safety concerns at the Lovers Leap Overlook, which has steep angles and winding curves and is currently restricted to only tractor trailers. The restriction will be lifted when the road is widened and the safety concerns are addressed.
The governor’s office expects the changes near Lovers Leap to require a lot of work. The state will need to excavate 10 million cubic yards of rock and soil at elevations between 1,300 and 3,000 feet.
“Once the General Assembly prioritized funding for the project, the Virginia Department of Transportation and our partner Branch Civil used an innovative progressive design-build approach to refine the design and advance the project to construction,” Commissioner of Highways Stephen Brich said in a statement. “This was the first time this contracting style was used in Virginia and supported a new level of engagement between the Virginia Department of Transportation and our contracting partner.”
Two other projects to widen Route 58 have also been approved – 4 miles at vesta and 7.2 miles at Crooked Oak.